Ghost Hunting 101

Special class to be offered Aug. 26 in Cape Coral

August 16, 2011

The opportunity to learn about ghost hunters will be made available for the community on Friday, Aug. 26, at Rotary Park Environmental Center through a Ghost Hunting 101 class.

Honey Archey, environmental recreation specialist and teacher of Ghost Hunting 101, said she is teaching the class strictly for the Cape Coral Parks and Recreation Department.

"I use my knowledge to raise money for Parks and Recreation," she said.

Archey said she has been a ghost hunter locally for 12 years and founded her own group of ghost hunters in 1999. Their are currently 12 members in the group who are very specialized in what they do with diverse backgrounds.

Archey said her interest in ghost hunting sparked because she grew up in a haunted house when she was younger in Michigan. She said a lot of people who end up ghost hunting have experiences of their own.

"They are curious and want to see what they can find out," Archey said. "It is an interesting hobby."

Fact Box

To go:

What: Ghost Hunting 101

When: Friday, Aug. 26, 6-8 p.m.

Where: Rotary Park Environmental Center,

5505 Rose Garden Road, Cape Coral

Cost: $25 for residents, $38 for non-residents.

Registration and information: 239-549-4606 or visit

www.capeparks.com.

The hobby continues to spark her interest because ghost hunting encompasses a bigger mystery.

"When something happens ... the wonder of it is what I enjoy the most," she said. "Something happens that you can't explain. I like the mystery aspect of it."

Archey said she travels all over the state and receives phone calls from residents, businesses and hotels to investigate the premise to see if it is haunted.

Some of the equipment she uses includes an electromagnetic field detector, digital recorders and analog recorders, DVR system and sound equipment and a data logger to record humidity and temperature changes.

The recorders, she said, are used to capture spirit voices with sound equipment.

"Usually they respond to questions being asked," Archey said, which is different because the recorder picks up responses to the questions that cannot be heard by a human ear.

To set up an investigation, she said can be very time consuming. The group begins setting up their equipment around 5 p.m. because the equipment works better at night. They sometimes do not leave until it is daylight outside.

The investigation typically runs between four to six hours, but can also run as long as a month or as little as one night.

Ghost Hunting 101 will be offered on Aug. 26 from 6-8 p.m.

The class will explore such topics as what ghost hunting is, the different techniques and equipment used, how an investigation is conducted, what the investigators look for and what the science is behind ghost hunting.

She said the interest for the class grows around Halloween and when stories about the subject appear in the news.

Archey said some people sign up for the class to learn more about how they can personally start ghost hunting, along with what they should look for.

In addition, she said sometimes elderly people sign up for the class because they are curious about what will happen after they die.

"They come to get their questions answered," Archey said.

Towards the end of the class, Archey said she reveals a few places in Lee County where individuals have experienced encounters with ghosts. She said the train car in downtown Fort Myers is supposedly haunted, along with the Repertory Theatre and Capt'n Con's Fish House on Bokeelia.

The Repertory Theatre, she said, is a cool place where individuals can go and watch a play while maybe seeing more than just the actors on stage.

Those who are interested in taking the class have to register beforehand. She said if they do not have enough people registered for the class it will be canceled. The minimum is four people.

Archey holds the ghost hunting class every other month. So far Ghost Hunting 101 has been offered 12 times. The next one will be held in October.

The class is held for those who are 16 years old and older. The cost is $25 for residents and $38 for non-residents.

Ghost Hunting 101 will be held at Rotary Park Environmental Center at 5505 Rose Garden Road.